Floating Market, Vietnam
49 images Created 4 Jun 2017
Floating markets are dying out with the changes of the generations, modern transportation and the building of bridges. These floating markets have been moving to land markets to follow the more prevalent modern day shopper. Cia Rang floating market in Can Tho on the Mekong River is the biggest one in the Delta. It is at a fraction of what it used to be but it is still a great way to see daily life on the water. There were many tours to join, but those boats are usually bigger and don’t always get into the nooks and crannies of the market. I hired a small private boat and was able to spend as much time as I wanted in the market and direct when and where I wanted to move on. Being on a smaller boat I could also get into all the narrow areas to see all the action. At this market the vendors had tall bamboo poles secured to their boat with an item of what they are selling at the top that made it easy to find what they were looking to buy. There were also roaming boats selling drinks, coffee iced and hot, banh mi sandwiches, soup and fruit. The best is they come to you for all your breakfast needs. ☺ As I wove throughout the market I was able to watch people getting on with their morning routines, brushing their teeth, having breakfast and visiting with friends. The sellers and the buyers make up the rest of the views. Watching them haggle prices, load up the small boats with their purchases and relaxing until the next customer. For being the largest floating market in the Delta, it was smaller than I expected, but since I slowed down and took my time and watched all the goings on I could really get a sense of their daily life